Kathmandu, January 20:

The government is working to make permanent the post of Women Development Officers (WDO) through amendment of the Civil Service Regulation 1993.

The WDOs have been serving in rural areas of the country for more than two decades as non-permanent employees of the government under the Department of Women Development.

“Though the process to make WDOs permanent has been initiated at the ministry level, the procedures depend on policy-level decisions and introduction of proper legal provision if necessary,” said Shyam Sundar Sharma spokesperson for the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare.

Meena Kattel, a WDO who served in Taplejung and Karve for 12 years said, “WDOs’ issue has remained unsolved due to lack of commitment and indifference of State, politicians and administrators.”

Kattel said, “WDOs work as a link between the vast rural women and the government, thereby helping both the sides to work together but their status is not recognised by the government itself.” Katel added that WDOs are still struggling to press the government to make the post of WDO permanent in the government service.

Keshab Prasad Regmi, director of Department of Women Development said, “The department has added the post of WDOs in the permanent quota, qualification for the post have also been set and the curriculum for the Public Service Commission’s examination has also been prepared.”

Delay in solving the problem has deprived more than 600 women officers and other staffs in this section in 75 districts from the the minimum facilities and opportunities like travel allowance and daily allowance, provident fund, promotion, scholarships, insurance and others.”

The Ministry of Local Development and then Village Panchayat through Production Credit for Rural Women recruited five WDOs for Rural Women project in 1981 to uplift the economic,

political, social and legal status of rural women.The provision of WDOs, who were given the responsibility of working with the low income group women, improving the economic status by forming women’s group and organising self employment programmes,creating awareness, making the services of government and other organisations accessible, was later on replicated in 75 districts.